Former Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis has opened up about the mysterious illness that derailed his 2025 postseason.
He has since revealed he was battling postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) during last year’s playoffs.
Porzingis detailed the toll the condition took on his body and performance as Boston fell to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“It hit me, and it hit me like a truck,” Porzingis told The Athletic’s Fred Katz. “The breathing wasn’t good. I did everything I could potentially to feel as good as I could, but my engine wasn’t running the way I wanted. There were moments where my heart rate would rise to 130 beats per minute going from lying down to a standing position. You know how people say, ‘Oh, I’m so fatigued.’ I’ve never used those words. I don’t even like to speak in those terms, but I really was like that. At that time, I could just lay on the couch and be a house cat.”
POTS causes an abnormal increase in heart rate when standing up, often leading to dizziness, fatigue, and shortness of breath, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The Celtics initially listed his condition as a “non-COVID illness,” but head coach Joe Mazzulla later admitted the 7-foot-3 center “couldn’t breathe” during Game 5 against New York.
Porzingis averaged just 4.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in the series, far below his regular-season production of 19.5 points and 6.8 boards per game.
Now entering his first season with the Atlanta Hawks, the 30-year-old says he’s managing the illness under medical supervision and is determined to return to form.
“I wanna show that I’m playing at a high level again, that I’m healthy, that I’m everything, and then that kind of stuff will take care of itself,” Porzingis told The Athletic. “We’ll see.”
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